Steamer Niagara Passing Fort Washington Point, 1845

This portrait of the Niagara was probably commissioned by its captain, Albert DeGroot. The ship is shown passing Fort Washington Point, the present day eastern end of the George Washington Bridge in New York City. Although executed in 1852, the date attached to the title indicates the client's wishes to have the ship's 1845 inaugural launching commemorated. The Niagara was used as a day boat for the New York, Albany, and Troy Line until 1847.
James Bard was a leading ship portraitist in New York City from 1830 to 1890. Bard, who often painted with his brother, John, meticulously measured every part of a ship in order to paint the image to scale and capture every detail. His clients were marine entrepreneurs, merchants, and seagoing men who desired ship portraits for posterity, status, and advertising.